Ascriptive Earnings Gaps in Canada and the U.S.: Intersection of Race, Gender and Nativity

Zheng Wu, University of VictoriaSharon M. Lee, University of VictoriaFeng Hou, Statistics CanadaBarry Edmonston, University of Victoria

We examine the intersection of race (Chinese/white), gender (male/female), and nativity (native/foreign-born) on earnings gaps in Canada and the U.S. by addressing the following questions: Do racial disparities in earnings vary by gender and nativity in each country? Do native-immigrant disparities in earnings vary by gender in each country? Do race/nativity/gender earnings gaps vary by country? Data are from the restricted 2006 Canadian census and pooled 2005-2006-2007 American Community Surveys. Earnings gaps are largest for immigrant Chinese men in Canada, followed by immigrant Chinese men in the U.S., immigrant Chinese women in Canada, native-born Chinese men in Canada, immigrant Chinese women in the U.S., and native-born Chinese women in Canada. The earnings gaps for native-born Chinese men and women in the U.S. are negligible. Substantial country differences highlight the value of cross-country research in researching ascriptive earnings gaps.